Achilles Tendon Degeneration in Collegiate Gymnastics

The motivation for the project was to investigate Achilles tendon degeneration in female collegiate athletes. To approach the project, 14 NCAA gymnasts wore 6 DOF (Degrees of Freedom) IMUs (inertial measurement units) during practice for a season. The IMUs were mounted in ankle bands and collected 3D linear acceleration data. Based on the results, the all-around gymnast may be more prone to experience tendon degeneration than all the other gymnasts.